PRODUCTION OF MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODIES FOR THE SPECIFIC DETECTION OF DEOXYNIVALENOL AND 15-ACETYLDEOXYNIVALENOL BY ELISA

Monoclonal antibodies (MABs) against the mycotoxin deoxynivalenol (DON) were produced using an immunogen consisting of DON conjugated to bovine serum albumin (BSA) through its 15-hydroxyl group (15-DON-BSA). From 80 hybridomas, the four best stabilized hybridoma cell lines secreting anti-DON MABs of subclass IgG(1) were used to prepare ascites in mice. The MABs purified from ascites were used to detect DON by direct competitive ELISA. The MABs were very specific to 15-acetyl-DON and DON but had negligible binding to 3-acetyl-DON, T-2 toxin, sambucinol, and neosolaniol. The effective range of detection was 0.05-20 mu g/mL of DON or 15-acetyl-DON. These antibodies also showed a high stability toward grain extracts containing up to 40% methanol.